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en-USCopyright 2016, Media Matters for AmericaThu, 08 Dec 2016 20:48:04 -0500Fri, 09 Dec 2016 07:51:27 -0500<b id="docs-internal-guid-1fa4bd30-dfb5-edcf-b5e4-20ddef970cb3">One Month Later, Press Failing Trump Transition Test</b>http://feeds.mediamatters.org/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~3/v9SoQZYvPIo/214762
<p><img alt="" height="361" src="http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2016/12/08/trump-smoothly.jpg" width="645" /></p>
<p>In a December 2 tweet that rattled embassies on the other side of the world, President-elect Donald Trump shredded nearly four decades of U.S. diplomatic protocol when he announced he had accepted a congratulatory call from Taiwan’s president. Seen as a public slight to China, which views Taiwan as a breakaway province, Trump’s move set off a flurry of international speculation and concern about America’s relationship with China, which boasts one of the most important economies in the world.</p>
<p>The next day, <em style="font-style:italic">The</em> <em style="font-style:italic">New York Times</em> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/02/us/politics/trump-speaks-with-taiwans-leader-a-possible-affront-to-china.html" style="text-decoration:none;">heralded the news</a> on the front page: “Trump Muddies China Relations With Taiwan Call.” What was so odd about the article -- yet what’s become such a hallmark of Trump transition coverage to date -- was that the<em style="font-style:italic"> Times </em>was unable to provide any insight into why the president-elect had made such a baffling move. “Mr. Trump's motives in taking the call, which lasted more than 10 minutes, were not clear,” the paper conceded.</p>
<p>The <em style="font-style:italic">Times</em> didn’t publish a single quote, either on or off the record, from any Trump aides or advisers shedding light on the diplomatic controversy. Instead, the <em style="font-style:italic">Times</em> was left to quote Trump’s tweets on the topic of Taiwan tweets which, of course, are public and anyone can read.</p>
<p>That’s extraordinary. Yet sadly it’s also become the norm during the one month since Election Day. It wasn’t as if the Trump team, by its own standards, was being unusually secretive about Taiwan. It’s simply been unusually secretive about <em style="font-style:italic">everything</em>, leaving the press with few avenues of information. (Remember <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/urn:publicid:ap.org:5247177bbb6d44a788fd966dc79fb62e" style="text-decoration:none;">the time</a>, days after the election, when the caught-in-the-dark press corps <a href="https://twitter.com/KatyTurNBC/status/798926065880141824" style="text-decoration:none;">didn’t know</a> where Trump was?)</p>
<p>Recall the <em style="font-style:italic">Times’</em> front page on November 22, when the paper touted as the day’s biggest news offering a newly released YouTube clip from Trump in which he discussed the goals of his first 100 days. There again, locked out from any advisers with insights, reporters <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/21/us/politics/donald-trump-presidency.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0" style="text-decoration:none;">were reduced</a> to transcribing the two-and-a-half-minute infomercial and treating it as breaking news (i.e. “Mr. Trump offered what he called an update on his transition”).</p>
<p>Question: Isn’t that more how monarchs and figureheads are covered, not presidents of the United States? I kept asking myself that question last Wednesday when CNN’s daytime coverage for hours revolved around the image of Trump’s plane sitting on a runway in preparation for his trip to Ohio. Is the nation <em style="font-style:italic">that </em>eager to catch a glimpse of Trump, who lost the popular vote in November and boasts a <a href="https://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/donald-trump-favorable-rating" style="text-decoration:none;">miserable favorable rating</a> for a <a href="http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/obama-favorable-rating" style="text-decoration:none;">newly elected president</a>?</p>
<p>Soon after the election, I warned that if journalists’ game plan in dealing with Trump was wishing and hoping that he’d change, then they’d be doomed, and so would news consumers. One month after the election, the doomsday appears to be looming larger.</p>
<p>And yes, the stakes are that high. “The Trump transition has put in stark relief the very foundations of the profession of journalism in modern America,” <a href="https://washingtonspectator.org/press-trump-perlstein/" style="text-decoration:none;">writes</a> historian Rick Perlstein.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/11/the-media-fears-231138" style="text-decoration:none;">From</a> <em style="font-style:italic">Politico</em>, here’s a quick reminder about how Trump openly disrespected the press this year, and will likely continue to do so:</p>
<blockquote><p>He did not allow the press to travel with him on his plane, which meant they were not in his motorcade and often, because of travel snafus, were left behind. He’s banned outlets for months at a time and called out specific reporters he didn’t like. And despite the years of tradition that the White House allows journalists into the building, has them travel with the president in a protective pool and that the press secretary holds a daily briefing, none of that is guaranteed in any sort of law. It is just tradition, and not many believe a Trump White House will keep that going.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And don't forget, Trump hasn't held a press conference since late July.</p>
<p>Instead of Trump’s historic lack of access prompting the press to be even more aggressive and vigilant in its coverage, we seem to be entering Stockholm Syndrome territory, where too many battered journalists seem to think that if they’re <a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/12/01/cnns-dana-bash-i-dont-think-trump-has-reach-out-people-didnt-vote-him/214694" style="text-decoration:none;">nice to Trump</a> and paint him as a success -- as taking on big business and <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/12/01/television-news-praises-trump-s-symbolic-coup-carrier-jobs-announcement/214683" style="text-decoration:none;">scoring a big</a> Carrier jobs victory -- that he’ll stop bullying them. They hope he’ll grant them access and won’t shred all White House press protocols starting next year.</p>
<p>But that ship has sailed, my friends. The best way for journalists to cover Trump moving forward is to assume they’ll never have any access. That means news organizations can, and should, stop fretting about possibly offending Trump. That opens up possibilities for detailed reporting on his sprawling web of conflicts. (Even if it <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/11/29/too-little-too-late-weeks-after-election-media-see-trumps-conflicts-potential-self-dealings-and/214626" style="text-decoration:none;">arrives a bit late</a>.)</p>
<p>And they should stop dancing around the fact that he constantly tells bald-faced lies. When Trump pushed out <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/802972944532209664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="text-decoration:none;">his fantasy</a> that if it weren’t for “millions” of people who voted “illegally” he would’ve won the popular vote, way too many news outlets simply typed up the assertions without <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/11/28/trump-lies-millions-voted-illegally-and-mainstream-outlets-uncritically-echo-him/214628" style="text-decoration:none;">properly stressing </a>that Trump’s claim was categorically false. (Even Trump’s attorneys <a href="http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trumps-lawyer-suggests-the-president-elects-fraud-claim-isnt-true" style="text-decoration:none;">don’t believe it</a>.)</p>
<p>If the press can’t swiftly and collectively knock down this nonsense, journalists are opening the door to every conceivable crackpot claim in the near future. Is the press really prepared to play he said/he said with Trump and his surrogates about whether the earth is flat, or the moon is made of cheese? Because that’s the direction we’re heading in if Trump’s team is allowed to advance its preferred “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-post-truth-world-of-the-trump-administration-is-scarier-than-you-think/2016/12/02/ebda952a-b897-11e6-b994-f45a208f7a73_story.html?utm_term=.0bf6fe1bc1df" style="text-decoration:none;">post-truth</a>” presidency, where there’s “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2016/12/01/cnn-commentator-scottie-nell-hughes-facts-no-longer-exist/?utm_term=.7e589b1cf54c" style="text-decoration:none;">no such thing</a>” as facts.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the timid press corps really needs to stop normalizing the outlier and radical nature of Trump’s transition and the people he’s appointing. During the first month of transition coverage, when <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/11/30/stop-normalizing-hate-reactionary-white-nationalism-doesnt-equal-populism/214663" style="text-decoration:none;">not erroneously tapping</a> Trump adviser and white nationalist Steven Bannon as a feel-good “populist,” journalists for weeks turned away from the dark, hateful rhetoric of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who has been tapped to become Trump’s national security adviser.</p>
<p>One week before Election Day, Flynn, a high-profile Trump surrogate in the press, <a href="https://twitter.com/GenFlynn/status/794000841518776320" style="text-decoration:none;">tweeted out</a> a fake news article claiming Hillary Clinton was linked to “sex crimes with children.” That, of course, is insanely irresponsible behavior for any adult, let alone a retired general, let alone Trump’s soon-to-be national security advisor.</p>
<p>But for weeks, while profiling Flynn, the press politely looked away from the specific instance of him hyping a rancid allegation about Clinton. Instead, in long articles about Flynn, news consumers were told about Flynn’s “<a href="https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-washington-post/20161118/281608125022681" style="text-decoration:none;">outspokenness</a>,” his “<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/16/politics/michael-flynn-donald-trump-national-security-adviser/" style="text-decoration:none;">fiery temperament</a>,” how he throws “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/03/us/politics/in-national-security-adviser-michael-flynn-experience-meets-a-prickly-past.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=0" style="text-decoration:none;">sharp elbows</a>,” and isn’t afraid to “<a href="https://twitter.com/nprpolitics/status/799618436364013571" style="text-decoration:none;">ruffle feathers</a>.” Those were some ways that <em style="font-style:italic">The</em> <em style="font-style:italic">Washington Post</em>, CNN, the <em style="font-style:italic">Times</em> and NPR categorized Flynn’s erratic behavior. Yet none of those profiles mentioned his "sex crimes with children" tweet, which seems like a glaringly obviously example of Flynn's at-times shocking behavior.</p>
<p>Right after the election, the<em style="font-style:italic"> Post’s </em>Margaret Sullivan rightfully <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/a-call-to-action-for-journalists-in-covering-president-trump/2016/11/09/a87d4946-a63e-11e6-8042-f4d111c862d1_story.html?utm_term=.b844c38b0fab" style="text-decoration:none;">urged her colleagues</a> “to keep doing our jobs of truth-telling, challenging power and holding those in power accountable.”</p>
<p>Raise your hand if, over the last four weeks, you’ve been awed by the Beltway media’s tireless drive to hold Trump accountable.</p>
<p>Not me.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~4/v9SoQZYvPIo" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Media Matters for Americahttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/09/one-month-later-press-failing-trump-transition-test/214762<span class="date-display-single">Fri, 09 Dec 2016 07:51:27 -0500</span>Media Matters for America - Bloghttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/09/one-month-later-press-failing-trump-transition-test/214762NBC Should Address Conflict Of Interest Concerns Following Report That Trump Will Remain On <em>Celebrity Apprentice</em> Payrollhttp://feeds.mediamatters.org/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~3/IA7OMeyF7ls/214770
<p><em><img alt="" height="369" src="http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2016/12/08/CelebrityApprentice645.jpg" width="645" /><br />
Variety</em> managing editor Cynthia Littleton reported “Donald Trump will remain an exec producer on NBC’s ‘Celebrity Apprentice,’” creating a conflict of interest for NBC’s ability to provide unbiased coverage of Trump while promoting a show built on Trump’s reputation.</p>
<p>On December 8, <em>Variety</em> <a href="http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/donald-trump-mark-burnett-celebrity-apprentice-executive-producer-1201937420/">reported</a> “Trump’s fees will be paid through MGM, the production entity on the show, not NBC,” but “the fact that a sitting president will be on the payroll of a current TV show is another example of the thicket of potential conflicts of interest raised by Trump’s segue from a private businessman and TV star to commander-in-chief.”</p>
<blockquote><p>Donald Trump will remain an exec producer on NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice,” which is returning Jan. 2 after a two-year hiatus with new host Arnold Schwarzenegger.</p>
<p>[...]</p>
<p>The larger issue for MGM, NBC, and the White House is the payment that Trump will receive for the series. It’s unclear what his per-episode fee is, but it is likely to be in the low five-figures, at minimum. NBC has ordered eight episodes of “The New Celebrity Apprentice.” Trump’s fees will be paid through MGM, the production entity on the show, not NBC. MGM declined to comment on the financial terms of Trump’s deal. A spokeswoman for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NBC declined to comment.</p>
<p>[...]</p>
<p>The fact that a sitting president will be on the payroll of a current TV show is another example of the thicket of potential conflicts of interest raised by Trump’s segue from private businessman and TV star to commander-in-chief. However, past presidents have published books during their time in the White House, so there is precedent for a president earning royalties while in office. In the case of President Obama’s 2010 book “Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters,” his profits from the Alfred A. Knopf publication were donated to a charity supporting the children of disabled veterans.</p></blockquote>
<p>In continuing their financial relationship with Trump, NBC will invite skepticism into how NBC and MSNBC can fairly cover the sitting president when there is a financial incentive to protect his reputation and the ratings of the <em>Celebrity Apprentice</em>. Furthermore, Trump and NBC should address the conflict of interest concerns raised by the fact advertisers may help to personally enrich President-elect Donald Trump by purchasing ads during <em>Celebrity Apprentice</em>.</p>
<p>NBC should move to address concerns raised by <em>Variety</em>’s reporting, and publicly state how it will balance its financial relationship with Trump while maintaining the network’s journalistic legitimacy.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~4/IA7OMeyF7ls" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Media Matters for Americahttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/08/nbc-should-address-conflict-interest-concerns-following-report-trump-will-remain-celebrity/214770<span class="date-display-single">Thu, 08 Dec 2016 21:22:56 -0500</span>Media Matters for America - Bloghttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/08/nbc-should-address-conflict-interest-concerns-following-report-trump-will-remain-celebrity/214770Gateway Pundit Attacks Obama For Defending "Patriotic Muslims" With Photo Of Obama At Muslim Weddinghttp://feeds.mediamatters.org/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~3/igrXjcAoSu4/214768
<p>Following President Obama urging Americans not to stigmatize patriotic Muslims, The Gateway Pundit’s Jim Hoft claimed “Lame-Duck Obama Defends Islam – Blames Americans for Feeding ‘Terrorist Narrative’” and included a photo of Obama wearing traditional Muslim dress in his piece.</p>
<p>Hoft attacked Obama’s December 6 <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/12/06/remarks-president-administrations-approach-counterterrorism">remarks</a> on his administration’s approach to counterterrorism where Obama spoke about the need for American’s not to “stigmatize good, patriotic Muslims” because “that just feeds the terrorists’ narrative”:</p>
<blockquote><p>If we stigmatize good, patriotic Muslims, that just feeds the terrorists’ narrative. It fuels the same false grievances that they use to motivate people to kill. If we act like this is a war between the United States and Islam, we're not just going to lose more Americans to terrorist attacks, but we’ll also lose sight of the very principles we claim to defend.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Hoft <a href="http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/12/obama-defends-islam-blames-americans-feeding-terrorist-narrative-please/">responded</a> by claiming Obama “blamed Americans for feeding the terrorist narrative,” and posted an unrelated and decades-old photo of Obama in traditional Muslim attire:</p>
<blockquote><p>Obama traveled to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida this week to address the military for the last time.</p>
<p>Obama defended his policies that resulted in the rise of the Islamic State.</p>
<p>The lame-duck president also defended Islam and blamed Americans for feeding the terrorist narrative.</p>
<p>Good grief.</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align:center"><img alt="obama muslim" height="282" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/8UQjdh7rp7J34d1elUbDZ11wHaIRax12O-ycVjVStYp64FTQIfPFbApkuRtHqCPA5rUo08jjanb5aJ6tknt3evjQnxnXU3L3zwTE8Nz3m6WVgC6EVNPDnMdnNs3nfmUEmJlUxfFq" width="568" /></p>
<p>This smear tactic has been used by <a href="http://www.infowars.com/photos-obama-wears-traditional-muslim-dress/">right</a>-<a href="http://www.wnd.com/2015/12/black-leader-accuses-obama-of-siding-with-muslims/">wing</a> media to attack President Obama throughout his presidency to claim he has an “<a href="http://www.mediamatters.org/video/2016/07/06/oreilly-uses-images-obama-muslim-wedding-claim-his-emotional-ties-islam-are-hurting-america/211395">emotional attachment to the Muslim world</a>.”</p>
<p>The Gateway Pundit has been a go-to site for President-elect Donald Trump who has linked to the website 23 times on Twitter and used the information <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/online/donald-trump-falsely-claims-president-obama-issued-a-statement-for-kwanzaa-but-not-for-christmas/">attack and smear</a> President Obama. </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~4/igrXjcAoSu4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Media Matters for Americahttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/08/gateway-pundit-attacks-obama-defending-patriotic-muslims-photo-obama-muslim-wedding/214768<span class="date-display-single">Thu, 08 Dec 2016 20:22:03 -0500</span>Media Matters for America - Bloghttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/08/gateway-pundit-attacks-obama-defending-patriotic-muslims-photo-obama-muslim-wedding/214768Fox Host Claims Obama Didn't Visit Victims Of Tragedies In 8 Years; She's Wronghttp://feeds.mediamatters.org/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~3/y4U63N4QV-8/214767
<p>Fox News co-host Kimberly Guilfoyle ignored recent history when she lauded President-elect Donald Trump for visiting victims of the Ohio State University attack and slammed President Obama, claiming the current president has never made these types of visits.</p>
<p>Trump <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/12/08/trump-to-visit-victims-of-ohio-state-university-attack/?utm_term=.a884a8ed0068">visited</a> victims of the attack at OSU, which injured 11, as well as the officer who killed the attacker and spoke with the university president. During his visit, Trump called the victims “really brave people, amazing people” and called the meeting “an honor.”</p>
<p>Fox News’ <em>The Five</em> reported on the meeting in a laudatory segment praising Trump, in which co-host Kimberly said “this is what leadership looks like” and added President Obama has never gone “directly to the source”:</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="video-embed" frameborder="0" height="360" scrolling="no" src="http://mediamatters.org/embed/clips/2016/12/08/51442/fnc-five-20161208-guilfoyleobama" width="480"></iframe></p>
<blockquote><p>KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE (CO-HOST): [Trump] doesn’t sit there and talk about ideas, he actually goes out and meets the people, and sees the situation, asses it, talks to them, shakes the hand of the man who was able to save the people at the Ohio State University. This is what leadership looks like. The reason why it seems so shocking is because we didn’t see it in this past 8 years, going directly to the source and taking it to the people.</p>
<p>JUAN WILLIAMS (CO-HOST): Wow, holy smokes you mean President Obama, President [George W.] Bush didn’t go to meet with victims of terror?</p>
<p>GUILFOYLE: I did not say anything about President Bush, I said past eight years.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But President Obama has met with numerous victims both of gun violence and natural disasters, during his eight years in office. Two days after the mass shooting in a Newtown, CT elementary school in December 2012, Obama <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-visits-families-of-conn-shooting-victims/">attended</a> an interfaith vigil and met with both the victims' families and the first responders. In July of 2012, the president flew to Aurora, CO <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/23/obama-vists-aurora-survivors-victims">to speak</a> with “each family who had lost someone as well as survivors struggling to recover” after a mass shooting in a movie theater killed 12 and injured 58. More recently, the president visited the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/24/us/politics/obama-louisiana-floods.html?_r=0">flood victims</a> in Baton Rouge, LA, the victims’ families and first responders after the San Bernardino, CA <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/18/politics/san-bernardino-obama-visit/">attack</a>, and the victims and survivors of the Pulse nightclub <a href="http://abc7news.com/news/orlando-officials-hold-news-conference-on-assistance-for-victims-/1388906/">shooting</a> in Orlando, FL.</p>
<p>Fox and right-wing media have a history of attacking Obama after a national tragedy claiming that the president hasn't <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/08/19/right-wing-media-lambaste-obama-not-visiting-flooded-louisiania-despite-governor-s-request-he-not/212533">visited</a> quickly enough or claimed that his visit was <a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2015/10/02/fox-correspondent-criticizes-obama-for-politici/205952">politicizing </a>the event.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~4/y4U63N4QV-8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Media Matters for Americahttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/08/fox-host-claims-obama-didnt-visit-victims-tragedies-8-years-shes-wrong/214767<span class="date-display-single">Thu, 08 Dec 2016 20:03:30 -0500</span>Media Matters for America - Bloghttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/08/fox-host-claims-obama-didnt-visit-victims-tragedies-8-years-shes-wrong/214767Major Newspapers Fail To Grasp Severity Of Putting Andy Puzder In Charge Of Labor Departmenthttp://feeds.mediamatters.org/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~3/Ih29ysoKvN0/214764
<p><img alt="" height="335" src="http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2016/11/17/trump-puzder.jpg" width="640" /></p>
<p>Initial reporting on the president-elect’s selection of fast-food CEO Andy Puzder to replace Tom Perez as the next secretary of labor depicted Puzder as a “vocal” critic of Obama administration policies while failing to note the conservative media-fueled inaccuracies that inform the incoming secretary’s anti-worker views.</p>
<p>On December 8, <em>The Wall Street Journal</em> was <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-expected-to-name-fast-food-executive-andy-puzder-as-labor-secretary-1481210445">first to report</a> that President-elect Donald Trump planned to name Puzder -- the CEO of CKE Restaurants, which owns the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s burger chains -- as the incoming labor secretary in his administration. The <em>Journal</em>’s report, and subsequent reporting from <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/08/us/politics/andrew-puzder-labor-secretary-trump.html"><em>The New York Times</em></a>, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-andy-puzder-labor-secretary-20161208-story.html"><em>Los Angeles Times</em></a>, and <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/2016/12/08/donald-trump-scott-pruitt-ohio-iowa-andy-puzder-labor-secretary/95134492/"><em>USA Today</em></a>, focused mostly on Puzder’s opposition to specific economic initiatives from the Obama administration -- raising the minimum wage, expanding overtime protections, and extending the scope of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) -- while failing to mention that Puzder’s arguments against each have been widely discredited:</p>
<ul><li style="text-align: justify;">The <em>Journal</em> <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-expected-to-name-fast-food-executive-andy-puzder-as-labor-secretary-1481210445">reported</a> that Puzder is a “vocal advocate for cutting back regulations,” which he claims “have stifled growth in the restaurant industry,” and concluded with the acknowledgment that Puzder has used the <em>Journal</em>’s own opinion pages to discuss “topics such as the negative effects of President Obama’s health-care law and of broad increase in minimum wage.”</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">The <em>Times</em> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/08/us/politics/andrew-puzder-labor-secretary-trump.html">noted</a> that Puzder believes “large minimum wage increases hurt small business and lead to job loss among low-skilled workers,” adding that he believes the ACA created a so-called “restaurant recession” by reducing disposable incomes that American workers would otherwise “spend dining out.”</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">The <em>LA Times</em> <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-andy-puzder-labor-secretary-20161208-story.html">claimed</a> that Puzder opposes raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour “because he thinks that would cost many low-wage workers their jobs,” and quoted a <em>Forbes</em> op-ed published by Puzder on May 18 that alleged the Obama administration had created an “extensive regulatory maze” with overtime and health care reforms that drive up labor costs and “reduced opportunities, bonuses, benefits, perks and promotions” for workers.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><em>USA Today</em>’s <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/2016/12/08/donald-trump-scott-pruitt-ohio-iowa-andy-puzder-labor-secretary/95134492/">synopsis</a> was much less extensive, merely labeling Puzder as “a major critic of what he calls unnecessary federal regulations, including a proposed hike in the federal minimum wage” before moving on to other rumored Trump appointments.</li>
</ul><p>Despite amplifying Puzder’s criticism of progressive economic policies, none of the outlets saw fit to mention that his arguments are wrong.</p>
<p>First, Obama-era regulations have not “stifled growth in the restaurant industry” or created a “restaurant recession.” According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES7072200001">employment in the restaurant industry</a> is up more than 20 percent since Obama took office in January 2009:</p>
<p><img alt="" height="256" src="http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2016/12/08/12.7_restaurant_employment.jpg" width="640" /></p>
<p>Second, while it is true that Puzder is an ardent opponent of increased minimum wages -- he once argued that modest wage increases actually encourage low-wage workers to game the system <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/06/24/fox-claims-fast-food-workers-forego-higher-sala/204120">so they can stay in poverty</a> -- it is important to note that his arguments are unfounded. Puzder and other right-wing media personalities have waged a <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/11/04/right-wing-media-attempt-last-ditch-effort-smear-raising-minimum-wage-four-states/214319">campaign of misinformation</a> against raising the minimum wage, claiming that it <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/06/24/myths-facts-minimum-wage/211189#myth1">hurts businesses</a> and <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/06/24/myths-facts-minimum-wage/211189#myth3">kills jobs</a>. In reality, <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/01/13/cornell-university-study-debunks-right-wing-med/207951">reliable</a> <a href="http://cepr.net/documents/publications/min-wage-2013-02.pdf#page=24">professional studies</a> of the minimum wage consistently find <a href="http://irle.berkeley.edu/files/2012/Minimum-Wage-Shocks-Employment-Flows-and-Labor.pdf">a negligible relationship</a> between the minimum wage and employment activity.</p>
<p>As is the case with Puzder’s opposition to living wages, the incoming labor secretary’s antagonism toward the ACA is also not based in facts. Right-wing media outlets and allied politicians have spent years claiming that President Obama’s signature health care reform law is <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/04/18/conservatives-were-stunningly-wrong-about-obamacare-new-report-finds/209966">hurting the economy</a> and <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2015/09/22/another-study-debunks-myth-that-obamacare-stymi/205723">stymieing the job market</a> despite all evidence to the contrary. In reality, Obamacare has <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/04/15/tv-news-ignores-historic-findings-uninsured-rate-drops-record-low/209941">reduced the uninsured rate</a> to historic lows, has <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/21/upshot/obamacare-seems-to-be-reducing-peoples-medical-debt.html">reduced medical debt</a> and <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/08/10/ny-times-highlights-new-evidence-obamacare-reduces-medical-debt-benefits-public-health/212298">benefited public health outcomes</a> while <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2014/02/05/right-wing-media-hate-that-obamacare-reduces-ec/197938">strengthening the economic security</a> of <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2014/01/27/what-the-media-should-tell-you-about-obamacare/197767">low-income families</a>.</p>
<p>Finally, Puzder’s opposition to expanded overtime protections amounts to little more than retooled talking points generated by right-wing media. Conservative media outlets opposed President Obama’s proposed overtime expansion <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2014/03/12/fox-doesnt-know-what-obamas-move-to-expand-over/198466">before they even knew the details</a>, claiming it threatened to <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2014/03/13/right-wing-media-attack-overtime-pay-proposal-a/198476">undermine</a> <a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2014/03/14/foxs-maccallum-increasing-overtime-pay-creates/198487">American work ethic</a> and turn the country <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/06/30/greece-on-steroids-foxs-cavuto-attacks-new-over/204218">into Greece</a>. Puzder’s claim that a “regulatory maze,” which includes overtime expansion, has “reduced opportunities, bonuses, benefits, perks and promotions” ignores the <a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/05/18/watch-fox-business-get-schooled-benefits-overtime-expansion/210478">obvious economic benefits</a> of <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/05/19/right-wing-media-assail-expansion-overtime-pay-protections-millions-workers/210498">paying millions of American workers</a> for the hours they actually work and that <a href="http://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2016/12/5/13838188/overtime-pay-rule-judge-strikes-down">the overtime threshold</a> “has the advantage of simplicity” that makes it efficient for employers to implement.</p>
<p><em>Media Matters</em> outlined the many ways media should approach his <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/11/17/what-you-need-know-about-rumored-trump-labor-secretary-andy-puzder/214523">troubled relationship with the truth</a>. If coverage today is any indication, major outlets still have a lot to learn.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~4/Ih29ysoKvN0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Media Matters for Americahttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/08/major-newspapers-fail-grasp-severity-putting-andy-puzder-charge-labor-department/214764<span class="date-display-single">Thu, 08 Dec 2016 17:01:57 -0500</span>Media Matters for America - Bloghttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/08/major-newspapers-fail-grasp-severity-putting-andy-puzder-charge-labor-department/214764<meta charset="utf-8" /><b id="docs-internal-guid-45cba0fb-df8f-63b7-f680-3ac157553328">CNN Anchor Denies That Trump EPA Pick Scott Pruitt Has “Denied Global Warming”</b>http://feeds.mediamatters.org/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~3/mKAP2m0NsB8/214761
<p><img alt="" height="378" src="http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2016/12/08/camerotapruittdenial1.jpg" width="645" /></p>
<p>On the December 8 edition of CNN’s <em>New Day, </em>anchor Alisyn Camerota falsely claimed that President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for EPA administrator, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, “hasn’t denied global warming.”</p>
<p>According to Camerota, when Pruitt and other Republicans say that the science of climate change is “far from settled,” they are referring only to “the predictions and the forecasts” of future climate impacts. But that’s simply not true. Like <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2015/07/01/study-how-the-media-is-covering-presidential-ca/204176">many other Republicans</a>, Pruitt has refused to accept the <a href="http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/">consensus</a> of the world’s leading scientific institutions that human activities such as burning fossil fuels are the <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/01/23/memo-to-the-media-gop-led-senate-is-still-denyi/202251">main cause</a> of global warming. In a May op-ed published in <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/article/435470/climate-change-attorneys-general"><em>National Review</em></a> and <a href="http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/othervoices/scott-pruitt-and-luther-strange-an-un-american-prosecution-of/article_eff77ff4-8f6c-5646-84da-1f3204b89f54.html"><em>Tulsa World</em></a><em>, </em>Pruitt and Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange claimed, “Scientists continue to disagree about the degree and extent of global warming and its connection to the actions of mankind.”</p>
<p>As Camerota wrongly absolved Pruitt of climate denial, CNN’s on-screen text read: “Climate Change Denier Scott Pruitt To Lead EPA.” Co-anchor Chris Cuomo also pushed back on Camerota, stating that Pruitt “says it’s ‘far from settled.’ That means he’s not accepting the science.” Camerota replied that Pruitt “sees nuance where you see black and white.”</p>
<p>Camerota was also off base when she claimed that Pruitt is justified in disputing climate science because climate “predictions” and “forecasts” are unreliable.</p>
<p>Camerota cited one specific example to back up this argument: “People thought the Antarctic ice would be gone by now. It increased in 2014. This is what people hang their hat on when they say that the forecasts are not settled. They fluctuate.” Although it’s true that the increase in Antarctic sea ice has surprised climate scientists, a team of NASA-led researchers was recently able to explain why it is happening, as InsideClimate News <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/31052016/why-antarctica-sea-ice-level-growing-while-arctic-glaciers-melts-climate-change-global-warming">reported</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>While Arctic ice is melting at a record pace, a team of NASA-led researchers say they can explain why Antarctic sea ice has been edging in the opposite direction. That paradox has puzzled scientists for years and given climate-change deniers fodder to dispute global warming.</p>
<p>The group found that the icy winds blowing off Antarctica, as well as a powerful ocean current that circles the frozen continent, are much larger factors in the formation and persistence of Antarctic sea ice than changes in temperature.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And overall, climate models have been very accurate when it comes to the core task of projecting the rate of global warming. As <em>The Guardian</em>’s Dana Nuccitelli has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2015/jul/31/climate-models-are-even-more-accurate-than-you-thought">noted</a>, the 2014 United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report showed that “observed global surface temperature changes have been within the range of climate model simulations,” and a 2015 study that accounts for the discrepancy between air and sea surface temperatures “shows that the models were even more accurate than previously thought.” The nonprofit science education organization Skeptical Science has also <a href="https://www.skepticalscience.com/climate-models-basic.htm">explained</a> the accuracy of climate models in predicting global temperature changes.</p>
<p>Watch Camerota deny Pruitt’s climate science denial:</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" scrolling="no" src="http://mediamatters.org/embed/clips/2016/12/08/51435/cnn-newday-20161208-camerotapruittdenial" width="480"></iframe></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~4/mKAP2m0NsB8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Media Matters for Americahttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/08/cnn-anchor-denies-trump-epa-pick-scott-pruitt-has-denied-global-warming/214761<span class="date-display-single">Thu, 08 Dec 2016 13:06:33 -0500</span>Media Matters for America - Bloghttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/08/cnn-anchor-denies-trump-epa-pick-scott-pruitt-has-denied-global-warming/214761Right-Wing Civil War: Megyn Kelly Trades Barbs With Breitbart Editor-At-Large Over Dangers Of Empowering "Alt-Right"http://feeds.mediamatters.org/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~3/QMgL3eB3vRg/214754
<p>Fox News host Megyn Kelly and Breitbart editor-at-large Joel Pollak traded attacks about the "alt-right’s" “potentially dangerous” influence in media and their role in the 2016 presidential campaign.</p>
<p>In a December 7 <a href="http://www.npr.org/2016/12/07/504622630/megyn-kelly-on-trump-and-the-media-were-in-a-dangerous-phase-right-now?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=politics&utm_medium=social&utm_term=nprnews">interview</a> on NPR’s <em>Fresh Air</em>, host Terry Gross discussed the misogynistic attacks and threats from Trump supporters which made it necessary for Kelly to use security for the entire year. Kelly also spoke about the dangers of empowering the "alt-right," and noted the problems one young woman had with Breitbart.com and their "alt-right" supporters when she dared “to say something about the fact that Corey Lewandowski laid hands on her.“ Kelly praised Breitbart’s founder Andrew Breitbart, but said, “if you look at what’s happened to Breitbart over the past three years, it’s shocking:”</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="video-embed" frameborder="0" height="360" scrolling="no" src="http://mediamatters.org/embed/clips/2016/12/07/51427/npr-ha-20161207-megynkellybreitbartaltright" width="480"></iframe></p>
<blockquote><p>TERRY GROSS (HOST): This is an example of how the “alt-right” -- and the “alt-right” is a rebranding of white nationalists and people who are misogynist, racist -- so, the alt-right has kind of gone after you, ever since your dust-up with Trump at the debate. Are you concerned that president-elect Trump seems to have empowered these people?</p>
<p>MEGYN KELLY: Well, I do think they are a potentially dangerous force. And you know, even when it comes to the book review -- look, I have a powerful platform. I can come talk to Terry Gross for an hour, but a lot of authors who are on the wrong side of Trump -- take Michelle Fields, right? The one who alleged that Corey Lewandowski had physically assaulted her, Trump’s old campaign manager, she had a book. She doesn’t have the powerful platform.</p>
<p>She worked for Breitbart, and left when they failed to defend her, and she got targeted by these folks on Amazon, and they killed her book, and that’s not okay. Alright? This woman hasn’t done anything wrong, anything, other than find herself on the wrong end of these folks, for whom she used to work. But even that wasn’t enough to engender any loyalty, or affection for her, because she decided to say something about the fact that Corey Lewandowski laid hands on her. This is a man who threatened me explicitly as well.</p>
<p>And look, Trump’s got bigger things to worry about than this particular group, but it is also a dangerous game to empower them, as clearly has happened. I mean, Steve Bannon is -- he’s chief advisor to our president-elect. And I understand the argument that he’s just a provocateur, and he comes up with these crazy headlines, and they want clicks, but if you look at what's happened to Breitbart [News] over the past three years, it's shocking.</p>
<p>I knew Andrew Breitbart very well and he was great. I loved him. He was a true provocateur who would be fun about it, you know. He'd show up at a democratic protest and engage with the protesters and then he'd go have a beer with them. This is something else entirely, and I don't know that Trump can stop it. I don't know who, if anyone, can stop it.</p>
<p>GROSS: How do you see your role as a journalist in covering the “alt-right?”</p>
<p>KELLY: It’s precarious, because they will come after you. I mean, they will target you, and they will be relentless about it. But -- so I, again, have this great platform, and I have this powerful company behind me, and I’m lucky to have a company that can look at it with that perspective. I think other organizations need to keep that in mind, that it doesn’t -- when I say you’re going to have to steel your spine, you know, to cover this White House and deal with some of Trump’s supporters, I mean it could affect your pocketbook as a news organization.</p>
<p>[...]</p>
<p>KELLY: Look at my case, Terry. If somebody gets targeted by this group physically, and they have death threats, how much money can a news organization expend to provide that person with a bodyguard? At some point, real dollars get involved here in these decisions. And, you know, that’s -- that’s when these news organizations are going to have to find their inner strength.</p></blockquote>
<p>In response to Kelly’s criticism of Breitbart and its elevation of “alt-right” white nationalist movement, Breitbart editor-at-large Joel Pollak <a href="https://twitter.com/joelpollak/status/806544292437073920">tweeted</a> Kelly “bashes Breitbart. I’ve never been a critic. Until now, maybe. Would she dare let me defend? I doubt it.”</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" xml:lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/megynkelly">@megynkelly</a> bashes Breitbart. I've never been a critic. Until now, maybe. Would she dare let me defend? I doubt it. <a href="https://t.co/19WlipzRUQ">https://t.co/19WlipzRUQ</a></p>
<p>— Joel B. Pollak (@joelpollak) <a href="https://twitter.com/joelpollak/status/806544292437073920">December 7, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p>The conflict between Megyn Kelly and Breitbart revives long-standing tensions between the Fox News host and the far-right outlet. In March, Kelly invited Michelle Fields, a former Breitbart employee who spoke out against Breitbart leadership’s attempts at “smearing” her reputation. In return, Breitbart has run articles with headlines such as “<a href="http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2016/11/18/steve-bannon-warned-roger-ailes-megyn-kelly-turn/">Steve Bannon: I Warned Roger Ailes That Megyn Kelly Would Turn On Him</a>,” and described Newt Gingrich’s <a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/10/25/fox-news-contributor-newt-gingrich-slams-fox-news-partisan-outlet-and-part-establishment/214114">insult-laden rant</a> against Kelly as “<a href="http://www.breitbart.com/video/2016/10/25/gingrich-slams-megyn-kelly-treatment-trump-fascinated-sex-dont-care-public-policy/">Gingrich Slams Megyn Kelly</a> For Treatment Of Trump -- ‘You Are Fascinated With Sex And You Don’t Care About Public Policy.”</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~4/QMgL3eB3vRg" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Media Matters for Americahttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/right-wing-civil-war-megyn-kelly-trades-barbs-breitbart-editor-chief-over-dangers-empowering-alt/214754<span class="date-display-single">Wed, 07 Dec 2016 20:14:44 -0500</span>Media Matters for America - Bloghttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/right-wing-civil-war-megyn-kelly-trades-barbs-breitbart-editor-chief-over-dangers-empowering-alt/214754<meta charset="utf-8"><em>New York Times</em>: Alleged Pizzagate Gunman Listens To Trump Ally And Conspiracy Theorist Alex Joneshttp://feeds.mediamatters.org/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~3/oByrjTxCCGw/214752
<p id="docs-internal-guid-6157ad2f-dbb0-29ed-551d-209d75095a57"><em style="font-style:italic; font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; text-decoration:none">The New York Times</em> interviewed Edgar Welch, the alleged armed gunman who<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pizzagate-from-rumor-to-hashtag-to-gunfire-in-dc/2016/12/06/4c7def50-bbd4-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html?hpid=hp_rhp-top-table-main_comet-reconstruct-852pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.c8f60dbbe3bf" style="text-decoration:none;"> went</a> to Washington, D.C’s Comet Ping-Pong pizzeria in a self-described attempt to investigate the false “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory<a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/after-pizzeria-death-threats-and-sandy-hook-harassment-indictment-alex-jones-still-pushing-expanding/214749" style="text-decoration:none;"> repeatedly</a> pushed by Donald Trump ally and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.</p>
<p>Jones has been<a href="http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/10/28/13424848/alex-jones-infowars-prisonplanet" style="text-decoration:none;"> described</a> as “more responsible than any other person for the spread of ‘Pizzagate,’” and has<a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/11/29/alex-jones-marvels-how-trump-finishes-his-sentences-during-their-private-conversations-guys-reading/214655" style="text-decoration:none;"> bragged</a> about his private conversations with Trump and their close ideological beliefs. In the <em style="font-style:italic; font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; text-decoration:none">Times </em>interview, Welch<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/us/edgar-welch-comet-pizza-fake-news.html" style="text-decoration:none;"> admitted</a> to being a listener to Alex Jones and claimed that “he touches on some issues that are viable,” but even the alleged gunman admitted that sometimes Jones “goes off the deep end.” </p>
<blockquote><p>He said he did not believe in conspiracy theories, but then added that the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks needed to be re-examined. He has listened to Alex Jones, whose radio show traffics in conspiracy theories and who once said that Mrs. Clinton “has personally murdered and chopped up” children. “He’s a bit eccentric,” Mr. Welch said. “He touches on some issues that are viable but goes off the deep end on some things.”</p>
</blockquote><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~4/oByrjTxCCGw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Media Matters for Americahttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/new-york-times-alleged-pizzagate-gunman-listens-trump-ally-and-conspiracy-theorists-alex-jones/214752<span class="date-display-single">Wed, 07 Dec 2016 18:53:02 -0500</span>Media Matters for America - Bloghttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/new-york-times-alleged-pizzagate-gunman-listens-trump-ally-and-conspiracy-theorists-alex-jones/214752Why Is The Daily Caller Using Images Of Black People With Obama Poster In Story About Food Stamps?http://feeds.mediamatters.org/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~3/R0Yyl2s2ZQQ/214748
<p>The Daily Caller included racial imagery in a story and accompanying link to a <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2016/12/07/republicans-hint-at-food-stamp-reform-but-stop-short-of-calling-for-overhaul/?utm_campaign=atdailycaller&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social">post</a> entitled “Republicans Hint At Food Stamp Reform But Stop Short Of Calling For Overhaul” featuring an image of two black people holding “replicas of food stamps” in front of a Shepard Fairey-style poster of President Obama. </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" xml:lang="en">Republicans Hint At Food Stamp Reform But Stop Short Of Calling For Overhaul <a href="https://t.co/l2YwcNyJfr">https://t.co/l2YwcNyJfr</a> <a href="https://t.co/J9xP5pRZjI">pic.twitter.com/J9xP5pRZjI</a></p>
<p>— The Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/806602958108577793">December 7, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p>TV One’s Roland Martin took on the racially offensive tweet, noting they tweeted a food stamp story and show “two Black people & Obama poster. I see y’all @TuckerCarlson!”</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" xml:lang="en">So the <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller">@DailyCaller</a> tweets food stamp story and shows two Black people & Obama poster. I see y'all <a href="https://twitter.com/TuckerCarlson">@TuckerCarlson</a>! <a href="https://t.co/4TeYmWJIjP">https://t.co/4TeYmWJIjP</a></p>
<p>— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) <a href="https://twitter.com/rolandsmartin/status/806603302616100864">December 7, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p>The Daily Caller has routinely used racially charged headlines such as “<a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/11/04/why-did-new-york-times-call-daily-caller-moderate/214307">White man overruns indigenous peoples with superior technology</a>,” which was later <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2016/10/11/anti-columbus-day-protesters-threaten-to-assault-driver-get-run-over-video/">changed</a>, and “<a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/07/02/daily-caller-headline-barack-obama-wife-beater/204232">Barack Obama, Wife Beater</a>," used in a gallery of images of the President where a sleeveless shirt was visible underneath his shirt and tie.</p>
<p>Vox’s Dylan Matthews <a href="http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/30/13765248/donald-trump-race-priming-political-science">reported</a> on the problematic use of racially charged imagery in stories about government programs by highlighting a book by Princeton professor Tali Mendelberg which found images associating black people with poverty led study participants to “express significantly more hostile views toward government programs to assist black people,” and specifically that “the effect on their expressed racial views was stronger than the effect on their expressed opinions on welfare.”</p>
<p>The Daily Caller is owned by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who was previously also the site’s Editor-in-Chief, a role he <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/online/tucker-carlson-to-step-down-as-editor-in-chief-of-the-daily-caller/">resigned</a> in order to begin hosting <em>Tucker Carlson Tonight</em> on Fox News. Since the show’s debut three weeks ago Carlson has already used his prime-time platform to defend the racist past of Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (R-AL) by <a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/11/18/foxs-tucker-carlson-attacks-naacp-during-defense-jeff-sessions-racist-past/214565">attacking</a> the “totally discredited” NAACP, <a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/11/18/foxs-tucker-carlson-american-nazi-party-and-kkk-dont-really-exist-meaningful-way/214533">claim</a> that “the American Nazi Party and the KKK don't really exist in a meaningful [way],” and allow a guest to <a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/12/02/white-fox-guest-there-very-little-evidence-classic-racism-any-longer/214704">proclaim</a> that “there is very little evidence of classic racism anymore.” Carlson has recently come <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2016/12/07/fox-newss-tucker-carlson-has-no-business-lecturing-about-journalism-ethics/?utm_term=.e712774dc3ed">under fire</a> after lecturing <em>The New York Times</em> about tweets from <em>Times</em> reporters he deemed crossed the line while ignoring the hateful rhetoric coming from his own news outlet. </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~4/R0Yyl2s2ZQQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Media Matters for Americahttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/why-daily-caller-using-images-black-people-obama-poster-story-about-food-stamps/214748<span class="date-display-single">Wed, 07 Dec 2016 17:50:27 -0500</span>Media Matters for America - Bloghttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/why-daily-caller-using-images-black-people-obama-poster-story-about-food-stamps/214748After Pizzeria Death Threats And Sandy Hook Harassment Indictment, Alex Jones Still Pushing, Expanding Conspiracieshttp://feeds.mediamatters.org/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~3/c4qWafhTHNU/214749
<p><img alt="Alex Jones" height="371" src="http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2016/12/07/gcn-20161207.jpg" width="650" /></p>
<p>Days after an armed gunman <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pizzagate-from-rumor-to-hashtag-to-gunfire-in-dc/2016/12/06/4c7def50-bbd4-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html?hpid=hp_rhp-top-table-main_comet-reconstruct-852pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.c8f60dbbe3bf" style="text-decoration:none;"><strong style="font-weight:700; text-decoration:underline">went to</strong></a> Washington, D.C’s Comet Ping-Pong pizzeria in a self-described attempt to investigate the false “pizzagate” conspiracy, radio host Alex Jones attempted to distance himself from the story, which he and his website Infowars have promoted -- while also adding more to the strange theory.</p>
<p>Jones, who runs the website Infowars, has played a key role in popularizing the erroneous notion that the pizzeria is a child-trafficking hub. <em style="font-style:italic">The Washington Post</em> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pizzagate-from-rumor-to-hashtag-to-gunfire-in-dc/2016/12/06/4c7def50-bbd4-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html?hpid=hp_rhp-top-table-main_comet-reconstruct-852pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.c8f60dbbe3bf" style="text-decoration:none;"><strong style="font-weight:700; text-decoration:underline">reported</strong></a>, "On the far-right site Infowars, talk-show host Alex Jones repeatedly suggested that Clinton was involved in a child sex ring and that her campaign chairman, John Podesta, indulged in satanic rituals." Vox <a href="http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/10/28/13424848/alex-jones-infowars-prisonplanet" style="text-decoration:none;">noted</a> that Jones “is more responsible than any other single person for the spread of “Pizzagate” — the totally false theory that DC pizza joint Comet Ping Pong is a front for a child sex ring involving Hillary and Bill Clinton.”</p>
<p>But on his December 7 show, Jones distanced himself from the allegations. He claimed that the <a href="http://www.npr.org/2016/12/06/504590375/radio-conspiracy-theorist-claims-ear-of-trump-pushes-pizzagate-fictions" style="text-decoration:none;">multiple</a> <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/12/04/fake-news-delivers-real-gunman-to-pizzeria-caught-up-in-alt-right-fake-news.html" style="text-decoration:none;">news</a> <a href="http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/10/28/13424848/alex-jones-infowars-prisonplanet" style="text-decoration:none;">outlets</a> that highlighted his role in the story were telling a “lie” and defended his own comments by suggesting he was simply sharing the information, noting that “everybody else covered it too.” But the coverage of the conspiracy <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pizzagate-from-rumor-to-hashtag-to-gunfire-in-dc/2016/12/06/4c7def50-bbd4-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html?hpid=hp_rhp-top-table-main_comet-reconstruct-852pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.c8f60dbbe3bf" style="text-decoration:none;">percolated</a> between Jones’ Infowars and online forums like Reddit and 4Chan.</p>
<p>Yet despite his attempt at creating distance between himself and the armed shooter, Jones then baselessly speculated that there were “questionable events” surrounding the incident and that “witnesses say no shots fired but the news says there is and it’s an admitted actor.” He described the incident as “classic scripting” and compared it to “fake events” and “fake videos for the campaign with Hillary” with “actors in ‘em.”</p>
<p>A pizzeria in Brooklyn <a href="https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20161207/east-williamsburg/pizza-gate-comet-fake-news" style="text-decoration:none;"><strong style="font-weight:700; text-decoration:underline">has also begun</strong></a> to receive death threats over the "pizzagate" conspiracy. Police say a worker who answered the phone at Roberta's pizzeria was told "you are going to bleed and be tortured," and other callers have asked if the restaurant is connected to the fictitious child sex ring promoted by Jones and others.</p>
<p>Echoing the real-world consequences of the "pizzagate" conspiracy, a Florida woman has been indicted for allegedly making threats against the parents of a 6-year-old who was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the 2012 mass shooting. CBS Miami <a href="http://miami.cbslocal.com/2016/12/07/feds-sandy-hook-hoaxer-threatens-parent-of-dead-child/#.WEhGXyYOy5E.twitter" style="text-decoration:none;"><strong style="font-weight:700; text-decoration:underline">reports</strong></a> that the FBI said the woman, Lucy Richards, "believed the event didn’t happen, … which motivated her to make a series of death threats against the victim." While there is currently no evidence that Richards was inspired by Jones, Jones has <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/11/17/trump-ally-alex-jones-doubles-down-sandy-hook-conspiracy-theories/214524" style="text-decoration:none;">repeatedly</a> used his platform to push Sandy Hook conspiracy theories.</p>
<p>On the same episode of his program, Jones also claimed he has been unfairly <a href="http://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2016/11/18/alex-jones-gives-final-unhinged-rant-defending-his-sandy-hook-conspiracy-theories/214566" style="text-decoration:none;"><strong style="font-weight:700; text-decoration:underline">accused</strong></a> of saying the Sandy Hook school shooting was a faked event and said, “I said that’s what people have said.” But as he did with the pizzeria story, Jones then pushed more conspiracy elements. He accused CNN anchor Anderson Cooper of being affiliated with the CIA and said he “got caught in a blue/green screen with his nose disappearing” while reporting on the shooting. Without evidence, Jones said, “They got caught doing fake satellite interviews.”</p>
<p>Alex Jones <a href="http://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/01/comprehensive-guide-alex-jones-conspiracy-theorist-and-trump-valuable-asset/214668" style="text-decoration:none;"><strong style="font-weight:700; text-decoration:underline">has claimed</strong></a> the government perpetrated the 9/11 attacks and the tragedies in Columbine, Oklahoma City, Sandy Hook, and at the Boston Marathon, along with pushing other unsupported conspiracy theories. Throughout the past year he has partnered with Donald Trump to bolster his candidacy. The president-elect has frequently echoed Jones' theories and rhetoric, and he appeared on Jones’ program to praise his "amazing" reputation.</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="video-embed" frameborder="0" height="360" scrolling="no" src="http://mediamatters.org/embed/static/clips/2016/12/07/51426/gcn-20161207-pizzahook" width="480"></iframe></p>
<p>From the December 7 edition of Genesis Communications Networks’ <em style="font-style:italic">The Alex Jones Show</em>:</p>
<blockquote><p>ALEX JONES (HOST): Oh no, Bill Clinton’s not mafia, he didn’t steal 94 percent of the money from Haiti. Billions. Oh no, he didn’t fly on Jerry Epstein’s plane with the pedophiles. Oh no, it’s not in the FBI manuals that they call child pornography “cheese pizza.”</p>
<p>But see how they lie, they go, “Alex Jones created a whole fiction and a lie about Podesta and sex and satanism and blamed some pizza place called Comet Ping-Pong and said some weird hallucination about pizza.”</p>
<p>We covered WikiLeaks that had a code about pizzas in New York that’s in the FBI files, said I don’t know what that is but they say it’s this -- it could also be about drugs, it should be investigated. Everybody else covered it too. But that doesn’t matter.</p>
<p>Then they use linguistics and words to go, oh, there’s a pizza place listed here, somebody mentioned it on Reddit, let’s say it’s all about this one pizza place to only limit it to that one area, put all the focus there, make them victims, have some very questionable events where witnesses say no shots fired but the news says there is and it’s an admitted actor. Who’s been in trouble with the law. I mean, the whole thing is classic scripting. I’m not saying it’s scripted -- it has all the telltale signs, they’ve been caught doing it before, they did all those fake videos for the campaign with Hillary. With fake actors in ‘em. This is what they do.</p>
<p>They always say I said nobody died at Sandy Hook and the whole thing’s fake. I said that’s what people have said. All I know is, Anderson Cooper – CIA – got caught in a blue-slash-green screen with his nose disappearing. They got caught doing fake satellite interviews, where one’s in New York, one’s in Connecticut, and it’s the same cars driving behind ‘em. That’s how dumb they think you are. I don’t know how fake it is, but you’re a pack of known liars.</p>
</blockquote>
<div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~4/c4qWafhTHNU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Media Matters for Americahttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/after-pizzeria-death-threats-and-sandy-hook-harassment-indictment-alex-jones-still-pushing-expanding/214749<span class="date-display-single">Wed, 07 Dec 2016 17:44:32 -0500</span>Media Matters for America - Bloghttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/after-pizzeria-death-threats-and-sandy-hook-harassment-indictment-alex-jones-still-pushing-expanding/214749News Outlet Owned By Trump Son In-Law Posts Op-Ed Calling For FBI Investigation Of Anti-Trump Protestshttp://feeds.mediamatters.org/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~3/ovefLm4BUlw/214747
<p id="docs-internal-guid-2f804b4d-db22-377f-383b-3b4cd24c9340"><em style="font-style:italic; font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; text-decoration:none"><img alt="" height="400" src="/static/uploader/image/2016/04/12/TrumpKushner.jpg" width="600" /></em></p>
<p>The Observer, a news site owned by President-elect Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, posted an op-ed calling for an FBI investigation into the “political thuggery” of anti-Trump protests taking place in the wake of the presidential election.</p>
<p>Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump threatened and criticized protesters during campaign events,<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/donald-trump-punch-protester-219655" style="text-decoration:none;"> saying</a> of one that he’d like to “punch him in the face” and reminiscing of the “good old days” when protesters would be “carried out on a stretcher.” Trump even<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/03/13/trump-threatens-to-press-charges-against-protesters-after-latest-chaos.html" style="text-decoration:none;"> threatened</a> to “start pressing charges” against protesters after demonstrations during a Chicago campaign rally caused the event to be <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/11/politics/donald-trump-chicago-protests/" style="text-decoration:none;">postponed</a> after fights broke out between demonstrators and Trump supporters. Now Trump supporters want an FBI investigation of of anti-Trump protests.</p>
<p>On December 2, the Observer <a href="http://observer.com/2016/12/comeys-fbi-needs-to-investigate-violent-democratic-tantrums/">posted</a> an op-ed written by University of Texas in Austin adjunct professor Austin Bay, which called for FBI Director James Comey to conduct a “detailed investigation” into the anti-Trump protests taking place across the country. To make his point, Bay<a href="http://www.history.com/topics/kristallnacht" style="text-decoration:none;"> invokes</a> “Kristallnacht,” a 1938 incident in which Nazis burned synagogues, vandalized Jewish-owned businesses and homes, and resulted in 30,000 Jewish men being sent to concentration camps. Bay even cites<a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2010/09/21/jim-hoft-dumbest-man-on-the-internet/170927" style="text-decoration:none;"> notorious</a><a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/10/20/fox-business-gets-fooled-again-gateway-pundits-email-conspiracy-theory/213999" style="text-decoration:none;"> conspiracy theorist</a> Jim Hoft’s blog post claiming anti-Trump protesters were paid to protest, a claim that gained traction<a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/nov/17/blog-posting/no-someone-wasnt-paid-3500-protest-donald-trump-it/" style="text-decoration:none;"> based</a> on a fake news story.</p>
<p>The posting of the op-ed is extremely concerning given the influence Kushner has on his father-in-law. In July, <em style="font-style:italic; font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; text-decoration:none">The New York Times</em><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/05/us/politics/jared-kushner-donald-trump.html?_r=0" style="text-decoration:none;"> reported</a> that Kushner had “become involved in virtually every facet of the Trump presidential operation” and wrote that many viewed him as the “de facto campaign manager.” Following the election, Kushner also explored legal loopholes that would allow him to bypass federal nepotism laws and<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/18/us/politics/donald-trump-administration.html" style="text-decoration:none;"> join</a> the Trump administration in an official capacity:</p>
<blockquote><p id="docs-internal-guid-2f804b4d-db22-ba51-23de-fbf6e8e8858b">Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President-elect Donald J. Trump, has spoken to a lawyer about the possibility of joining the new administration, a move that could violate federal anti-nepotism law and risk legal challenges and political backlash.</p>
<p>[…]</p>
<p>Mr. Trump is urging his son-in-law to join him in the White House, according to one of the people briefed. The president-elect’s sentiment is shared by Stephen K. Bannon, the chief strategist for the White House, and Reince Priebus, who was named chief of staff. Mr. Kushner accompanied Mr. Trump to the White House on Thursday, when the president-elect held his first in-person meeting with President Obama.</p>
</blockquote><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~4/ovefLm4BUlw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Media Matters for Americahttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/news-outlet-owned-trump-son-law-posts-op-ed-calling-fbi-investigation-anti-trump-protests/214747<span class="date-display-single">Wed, 07 Dec 2016 17:01:56 -0500</span>Media Matters for America - Bloghttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/news-outlet-owned-trump-son-law-posts-op-ed-calling-fbi-investigation-anti-trump-protests/214747Trump Admitted He Tweets To Avoid Reporters -- Media Shouldn’t Let Him Get Away With Ithttp://feeds.mediamatters.org/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~3/Ozge8N0e0LA/214743
<p>On NBC’s <em>Today</em>, President-elect Donald Trump admitted he uses Twitter to bypass reporters, claiming it allows him to get his messages out “much more honestly.” Trump’s Twitter account is riddled with false claims, vague statements, and fake news stories, but media outlets have nevertheless treated it as a source of credible information, allowing his tweets to drive the news cycle.</p>
<p>During an interview on NBC’s morning show, <em>Today</em>, host Matt Lauer <a href="http://mediamatters.org/embed/clips/2016/12/07/51414/nbc-today-20161207-trump">asked</a> Trump about his continued use of Twitter after the election, despite his promise to “be much more restrained as the president.” Trump conceded that he uses Twitter as a mechanism for bypassing the press, claiming it’s a “modern-day form of communication” that allows him to communicate his messages to the public “much faster” and “much more honestly than dealing with dishonest reporters, because so many reporters are dishonest.”</p>
<iframe class="video-embed" src="https://mediamatters.org/embed/clips/2016/12/07/51414/nbc-today-20161207-trump" width="480" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe><p>Trump has successfully used his Twitter account to inject favorable stories into the media, such as <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/803805823503925250">announcing</a> a deal he made with Carrier Corp. to keep 700 jobs from moving to Mexico. But the Carrier deal <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/2016/12/trumps-deal-with-carrier-moves-1300-jobs-to-mexico/">included</a> giving $7 million in tax breaks to the private company and doesn’t prevent 1,300 other Carrier jobs from offshoring, which Trump did not discuss in his Twitter announcement. By tweeting the deal, Trump avoided follow-up questions from reporters and was not forced to address the details of the deal or how it was made -- but he did successfully drive the news cycle. CNN ran an <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/01/cnn-needs-do-better-trump-chyron/214680">on-screen graphic</a> that read “Trump delivers on vow to save Carrier jobs” for part of the day.</p>
<p>Similarly, Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/806134244384899072">proposed</a> canceling a deal with Boeing to build a new Air Force One plane for future presidents, claiming that “costs are out of control.” <em>Washington Post</em> Fact Checker Glenn Kessler <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/06/washington-post-corrects-inaccuracies-trumps-air-force-one-tweet/214731">broke down</a> the tweet, noting that “Trump is not a stickler for accuracy, but there are number of inaccuracies in his tweet.” Trump has also <a href="https://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/11/28/trump-s-fake-election-claims-came-conspiracy-theorist-alex-jones-media-isn-t-reporting/214635">tweeted fake news</a> stories, including that he “won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.” That claim was based on an evidence-free claim from a Twitter user that was picked up by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.</p>
<p>Trump has sought to turn his Twitter feed into one of only a few sources of information for the media on him and his transition. His <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/10/11/guide-donald-trumps-war-press-so-far/213290">war on the press</a> began during his campaign and has <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/11/16/trumps-transition-signals-he-will-continue-be-incredibly-hostile-press/214490">continued</a> <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/11/22/trump-s-ongoing-contempt-press-requires-journalists-step/214605">into</a> his transition to the presidency. He has not held a press conference since July (he <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2016/12/02/media/donald-trump-press-conference/">announced</a> a news conference scheduled for December 15, but has not said whether he will take questions from reporters); has continued to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/01/donald-trump-victory-tour-ohio-speech-hillary-clinton-media">harangue</a> the media at campaign-style rallies during his “victory tour”; and has on more than one occasion <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/29/why-you-should-care-about-donald-trumps-lack-of-a-protective-press-pool/?utm_term=.ecd4621ce4e8">ditched his protective pool</a>, which is supposed to follow him in order to, among other functions, be on the scene to report in case of major events. At the same time, he and his team have repeatedly refused to answer questions about his and his family’s questionable international business dealings and interactions with foreign leaders, forcing the American press to <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/11/22/trump-s-ongoing-contempt-press-requires-journalists-step/214605">rely on foreign media</a> for details surrounding Trump’s meetings and calls with foreign leaders.</p>
<p>He recently responded to criticism of his antagonistic attitude toward the media on Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/805804034309427200">claiming</a> that “if the press would cover me accurately [and] honorably, I would have far less reason to ‘tweet.’” But some media experts have suggested Trump’s attacks on the media are not actually driven by a desire to spread honest information, but rather are a concerted effort to discredit the media in order to “inoculate” himself from reporting that could be damaging. On CNN’s <em>Reliable Sources</em>, former Time Inc. Editor-in-Chief John Huey argued that Trump used “demagogic techniques” that “smack of authoritarianism” during the campaign because “the media poses a real threat to him”:</p>
<iframe class="video-embed" src="https://mediamatters.org/embed/214707" width="480" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe><blockquote>
<p>JOHN HUEY: Well, I've seen a continuation of what he's been doing since the very beginning. And the last time I spoke to you, I was stressing the concept of a demagogue and the classic techniques of a demagogue. And one of those is, you have to have a scapegoat, you have to create the idea that someone out there is the enemy. And he started out with Mexicans, he moved on to Muslims, and sometime in the middle of the summer, he really started to focus on the media. And you were one of the first people to pick up on that, and also the election rigging. The media was part of the election rigging. So, these are demagogic techniques, and you can look at them very seriously because they do smack of authoritarianism.</p>
<p>[…]</p>
<p>One other point, quickly, the reason he has settled on the media over the Mexicans and the Muslims is, the media poses a real threat to him. The media are the people who investigate his charitable giving. They're the ones who look at what we can learn about his tax returns. They're the people who cover the fraud trial of Trump University. So it's very much in his interest to discredit the messenger for those messages.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Trump’s admission that he uses Twitter to bypass reporters and the media should indicate to the press that they cannot simply report on his tweets without providing proper context or fact-checking. The current compulsion to do so often results in the wholesale repetition of his claims, even when they are inaccurate. </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~4/Ozge8N0e0LA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Media Matters for Americahttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/trump-admitted-he-tweets-avoid-reporters-media-shouldn-t-let-him-get-away-it/214743<span class="date-display-single">Wed, 07 Dec 2016 13:16:16 -0500</span>Media Matters for America - Bloghttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/trump-admitted-he-tweets-avoid-reporters-media-shouldn-t-let-him-get-away-it/214743Weather Channel Meteorologist Calls Out Breitbart: “Please Stop Using Our Video to Mislead Americans” On Climate Changehttp://feeds.mediamatters.org/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~3/kWZ3fRU5ZUg/214739
<p><img alt="" height="356" src="http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2016/12/07/Kait_Parker_5.jpg" width="645" /></p>
<p>The Weather Channel criticized Breitbart.com for falsely claiming that global warming temperatures have “plunged,” describing a Breitbart article as “a prime example of cherrying picking” data and pointing out that Breitbart denied the findings of “thousands of researchers and scientific societies.”</p>
<p>In a video accompanying a December 6 <a href="https://weather.com/news/news/breitbart-misleads-americans-climate-change?cm_ven=T_WX_CD_120616_2">article</a>, Weather Channel meteorologist Kait Parker explained to Breitbart, “Science doesn’t care about your opinion. Cherry-picking and twisting the facts will not change the future, nor the fact -- not opinion -- that the earth is warming. ”</p>
<p>The Weather Channel video and article roundly debunked the false and misleading claims in the November 30 Breitbart <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/11/30/global-temperatures-plunge-icy-silence-climate-alarmists/">article</a> by James Delingpole. In response to Delingpole’s claim that "[g]lobal land temperatures have plummeted by one degree Celsius since the middle of this year,” Parker pointed out that Delingpole had cherry-picked one set of data, adding in the video that “land temperatures aren’t an appropriate measure” and that the temperature decline disappears when you also account for sea surface temperatures. Delingpole also cited the science editor of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, David Whitehouse, to claim that “without the El Niño (and the so-called ‘Pacific Blob’) 2014-2016 would not have been record warm years," yet Parker noted in the video that even if you “take out the El Nino spike in temperatures, 2015 and 2016 still come in as the warmest years on record,” as Carbon Brief has <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-newspaper-claim-about-global-temperature-is-deeply-misleading">shown</a>. Finally, Parker debunked Delingpole’s claim that a likely drop in global temperatures in 2017 is evidence against global warming, writing: “There is nothing unusual about a drop in global surface temperatures when going from El Niño to La Nina. These ups and downs occur on top of the long-term warming trend that remains when the El Niño and La Niña signals are removed.”</p>
<p>Parker also lamented the U.S. House Science Committee’s <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/01/breitbart-s-climate-science-misinformation-embraced-gop-led-house-science-committee/214687">endorsement </a>of the Breitbart article on Twitter and concluded her video with a helpful suggestion for Breitbart and a rallying cry for fellow scientists: “So next time you’re thinking about publishing a cherry-picked article, try consulting a scientist first, and to all my fellow scientists out there: Let’s make the facts louder than the opinions.”</p>
<p>Here is the video and full transcript of Parker’s comments (which are well worth watching):</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UhdymoRTz6M" width="560"></iframe></p>
<blockquote><p>KAIT PARKER: So last week, Breitbart.com published an article claiming that global warming was nothing but a scare and global temperatures were actually falling. Problem is, they used a completely unrelated video about La Nina, with my face in it, to attempt to back their point. What’s worse is that the U.S.Committee on Space, Science, & Technology actually tweeted it out. Here’s the thing: Science doesn’t care about your opinion. Cherry-picking and twisting the facts will not change the future, nor the fact -- not opinion -- that the earth is warming. So let’s break it down.</p>
<p>Their first claim is that “Global land temperatures have plummeted by one degree Celsius since the middle of this year -- the biggest and steepest fall on record.” Now, that was based on one satellite estimate of global land temperatures, not a consensus. And second of all, land temperatures aren’t an appropriate measure. The earth is 70 percent water, and water is where we store most of our heat energy, so when you look at sea surface temperatures, and you combine that with land temperatures, you actually get a record high for November of 2016.</p>
<p>Their second claim: “It can be argued that without the El Nino … 2014-2016 would not have been record warm years.” Now, if you’re taking a look at the Arctic sea ice melting here in this video from NASA -- when you actually normalize the data, aka take out the El Nino spike in temperatures, 2015 and 2016 still come in as the warmest years on record.</p>
<p>So that brings me to claim number three: “Many think that 2017 will be cooler than previous years.” Now, it is typical, yes, for temperatures to drop in a post-El Nino environment, but certainly not to record lows. If that claim was correct, we would have had global record lows all over the last century, and we haven’t seen that since 1911. The last time we fell below the 20th century average was in 1976, and guess what? That was directly following the 1974-1975 strong El Nino. So next time you’re thinking about publishing a cherry-picked article, try consulting a scientist first, and to all my fellow scientists out there: Let’s make the facts louder than the opinions. </p>
</blockquote><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~4/kWZ3fRU5ZUg" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Media Matters for Americahttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/weather-channel-meteorologist-calls-out-breitbart-please-stop-using-our-video-mislead-americans/214739<span class="date-display-single">Wed, 07 Dec 2016 11:57:46 -0500</span>Media Matters for America - Bloghttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/weather-channel-meteorologist-calls-out-breitbart-please-stop-using-our-video-mislead-americans/214739AP Got This Trump Headline Right; Other Mainstream Outlets Didn'thttp://feeds.mediamatters.org/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~3/A7vWnOVL88Y/214737
<p>Multiple media outlets published headlines that uncritically echoed a claim from President-elect Donald Trump’s spokesperson that Trump had sold his stocks, even though Trump’s team offered no actual proof that he had done so. The Associated Press correctly characterized the news by noting the lack of evidence in its headline, but many others continued a disturbing pattern of uncritically parroting false or unsubstantiated claims by Trump and his aides in their headlines, in effect giving Trump favorable coverage when he offers vague details or even spouts verifiable lies.</p>
<p>Trump on December 6 <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/806134244384899072">tweeted</a> that the aircraft manufacturer Boeing was “building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion,” adding, “Cancel order!” In a conference call later that day, a reporter asked Trump spokesperson Jason Miller if Trump “had investments in Boeing,” and Miller “said the president-elect had sold all of his stocks in June,” according to <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/43a0b1d7d96f47bd82936d936675ef69/aide-says-trump-sold-stocks-june-provides-no-evidence">The Associated Press</a> (AP).</p>
<p>But there is no proof that Miller’s claim is true, given that Trump has not submitted any kind of financial disclosure <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/new-documents-show-trump-misled-about-his-income">since May</a> and that, as the AP noted, Trump didn’t announce he was selling his stocks at the time. Transition officials have also refused to provide evidence of the sales:</p>
<blockquote><p>Trump's campaign did not announce the sell-off at the time, despite the fact that it could have been politically advantageous for the businessman to be seen taking steps to avoid potential conflicts of interest.</p>
<p>Miller, as well as other transition officials and lawyers from the Trump Organization, did not respond to requests from The Associated Press to provide evidence of the transactions.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The AP published this report with a headline that accurately paired Miller’s claim with the crucial context that he “provides no evidence”:</p>
<p><img alt="" height="96" src="http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2016/12/07/AP_headline.jpg" width="883" /></p>
<p>But other major outlets did not note the lack of evidence in their headlines, instead reporting Miller’s comments without necessary context:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-stocks-idUSKBN13V2BS">Reuters</a>:</p>
<p><img alt="" height="92" src="http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2016/12/07/Reuters_headline.jpg" width="735" /></p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/06/us/politics/donald-trump-business-stocks.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fus&mtrref=undefined&gwh=BE5F15D264ADBC9911C126B594926734&gwt=pay">The New York Times</a></em>:</p>
<p><img alt="" height="49" src="http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2016/12/07/NYT_headline.jpg" width="735" /></p>
<p><em><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump-sold-all-shares-in-companies-in-june-spokesman-says/2016/12/06/55419d44-bbcf-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html?utm_term=.788c846c7943">The Washington Post</a></em>:</p>
<p><img alt="" height="184" src="http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2016/12/07/Washington_Post_headline.jpg" width="579" /></p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-sold-all-his-stockholdings-in-june-transition-spokesman-says-1481046045">The Wall Street Journal</a></em>:</p>
<p><img alt="" height="166" src="http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2016/12/07/WSJ_headline.jpg" width="872" /></p>
<p><a href="http://money.cnn.com/2016/12/06/investing/donald-trump-stocks/index.html">CNN</a>:</p>
<p><img alt="" height="135" src="http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2016/12/07/CNN_headline.jpg" width="1071" /></p>
<p>These headlines continue a mainstream media pattern of publishing article titles that are favorable for Trump and that promote his claims, even when those claims are false or unsubstantiated. When Trump on November 18 <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/11/18/media-falsely-give-trump-credit-ford-plant-not-moving-mexico/214550">falsely claimed</a> that he prevented a Kentucky Ford plant from moving to Mexico -- even though there were never plans to move the plant -- multiple headlines ran with Trump’s bogus statement. When Trump on November 27 <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/11/28/trump-lies-millions-voted-illegally-and-mainstream-outlets-uncritically-echo-him/214628">falsely claimed</a> that “millions of people” illegally voted in the election, multiple mainstream outlet quoted Trump’s words in headlines and on social media without noting that they were false. And when Trump on November 30 <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/11/30/mainstream-outlets-rush-give-trump-credit-vague-tweets-about-his-business/214664">sent a series of tweets</a> claiming he would be leaving his business to avoid conflicts of interest, headlines ran with his statement, even though Trump offered no new information on how he would actually carry out the plan. As ThinkProgress’ Judd Legum <a href="https://twitter.com/JuddLegum/status/806229865267687424">noted</a>, Trump has been “able to generate whatever headlines he wants based on substance-free tweets” and claims.</p>
<p>It is crucial that headlines accurately explain a story because, for most people, the phrase at the top of a piece is the only part of the article they will actually read. As <em>The Washington Post</em> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/03/19/americans-read-headlines-and-not-much-else/">reported</a>, “roughly six in 10 people acknowledge that they have done nothing more than read news headlines in the past week,” and “that number is almost certainly higher than that, since plenty of people won't want to admit to just being headline-gazers but, in fact, are.”</p>
<p>Trump has been a <a href="http://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/">documented liar</a> throughout the course of his presidential campaign and transition. When his claims lack proof or are demonstrably false, headlines should reflect that reality, rather than giving a serial misinformer the benefit of the doubt.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~4/A7vWnOVL88Y" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Media Matters for Americahttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/ap-got-trump-headline-right-other-mainstream-outlets-didnt/214737<span class="date-display-single">Wed, 07 Dec 2016 10:20:13 -0500</span>Media Matters for America - Bloghttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/07/ap-got-trump-headline-right-other-mainstream-outlets-didnt/214737“Trump TV” Will Be In The White House Press Briefingshttp://feeds.mediamatters.org/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~3/iQATHu2S-D4/214735
<p>Right Side Broadcasting Network’s (RSBN) announcement that they will be participating in White House press briefings is raising new questions about whether President-elect Donald Trump intends to bypass traditional media as President and create a press corps more favorable to his administration.</p>
<p>During their live coverage of President-elect Donald Trump’s “Thank You” rally in North Carolina on December 6, the show’s host Joe Seales announced that the network is “going to become a 24-hour network very soon.” Seales also said the network will “be in the White House” and “be at the press briefings” during the Trump administration:</p>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UV_fHfxyzkA" width="560"></iframe><p>
<a href="http://foreignpolicy.com/2010/06/07/can-the-white-house-revoke-a-reporters-credentials/">According to</a> <em>Foreign Policy</em> magazine, to get accredited to report in the White House, “a reporter first needs to be approved for a congressional press pass by the Standing Committee of Correspondents, elected by accredited reporters.” RSBN must also meet a number of other requirements along with their application to be credentialed as a reporter in the White House:</p>
<blockquote><p>Among other requirements, congressional reporters must demonstrate that they work for a publication whose "principal business is the daily dissemination of original news and opinion of interest to a broad segment of the public" and is "editorially independent of any institution, foundation or interest group that lobbies the federal government." The White House also requires an additional Secret Service background check.</p></blockquote>
<p>Trump could, however, circumvent press rules and procedures by allowing a non-credentialed reporter to ask questions during the briefings, which is exactly what happened in the last Republican administration. Jeff Gannon of the right-wing <em>Talon News</em> <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36733-2005Feb18.html">was</a> “admitted on a day-to-day basis” into the White House briefing room where he was “repeatedly allowed to ask — usually friendly” <a href="http://foreignpolicy.com/2010/06/07/can-the-white-house-revoke-a-reporters-credentials/">questions</a> to the Bush administration.</p>
<p>It is unclear whether RSBN has applied or meet any of the standards set by the <a href="http://www.dailypress.senate.gov/?page_id=70">rules governing the press galleries</a>, but their relationship with Trump makes their announcement problematic.</p>
<p><em>The Washington Post</em>’s Callum Borchers has described Right Side Broadcasting as “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/10/22/trump-tv-already-exists-its-called-right-side-broadcasting/?utm_term=.da6d30406f1b">the unofficial version of Trump TV</a> since last summer,” noting the Trump campaign had “teamed up with Right Side to produce pre- and post-debate analysis shows that streamed on Trump’s Facebook Page.” Borchers additionally noted Right Side Broadcasting CEO Joe Seales had previously <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/4pjlih/i_am_joe_seales_ceo_of_right_side_broadcasting/d4lh8sn/">told</a> Reddit users to address mainstream media outlets by “continu[ing] to discredit them.”</p>
<p>The announcement also comes as right-wing media figures are urging Trump to exclude mainstream news outlets from press briefings. Fox host Sean Hannity has <a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/11/22/sean-hannity-why-should-mainstream-journalists-have-seat-white-house-press-room/214608">repeatedly</a> questioned why journalists from CNN, NBC, Politico, and the New York Times “have a seat in the White House press room,” <a href="https://mediamatters.org/video/2016/11/29/hannity-attacks-cnns-jeff-zeleny-fact-checking-trump-s-voter-fraud-conspiracy-theory/214662">claimed</a> “it’s time to reevaluate the press and maybe change the traditional relationship with the press and the White House,” and urged the Trump administration to <a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/12/05/sean-hannity-urges-trump-administration-get-rid-white-house-press-office/214724">get rid of the White House press office</a> and “start over.”</p>
<p>Given Trump’s <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/11/22/trump-s-ongoing-contempt-press-requires-journalists-step/214605">long adversarial</a> relationship with the press, it appears he is taking this advice to heart and attempting to push out mainstream journalists in favor of reporters made in his own image.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MediaMattersForAmerica-CountyFair/~4/iQATHu2S-D4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Media Matters for Americahttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/06/trump-tv-will-be-white-house-press-briefings/214735<span class="date-display-single">Tue, 06 Dec 2016 23:40:24 -0500</span>Media Matters for America - Bloghttp://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/06/trump-tv-will-be-white-house-press-briefings/214735